Make their day: Send a Christmas card

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SIDNEY — A postage stamp and a Christmas card. The combination of the two items can make a person’s Christmas a merry one, said Shelby County Sheriff John Lenhart during his weekly column.

“Chief Deputy Jim Frye put an item on our Facebook page asking people to send cards to the residents of Fairhaven,” said Lenhart. “Many of them don’t have families and with the coronavirus, they’re not getting visitors at the nursing home. A card will make their day.”

Lenhart also shared some tips on what to get your “senior” friends who say they don’t want anything for Christmas.

“I did a little research and found some items you can buy them which will help prevent injuries,” he said. “Falling is the No. 1 danger for senior citizens. For a person over 65, one in four people has fallen. When you[‘re over 7-, the fall can be more serious.

“Stair cases and steps are dangerous as the person can fall and bump their head,” he said. “The highest risk of a fall is in the bathroom. There can be water on the flood which causes a danger of slipping. “

Lenhart recommends buying the person floor mats for them to step on when they get in and out of the shower.

“Male sure you buy the floor mats that don’t move,” he said.

If a person falls a lot, he recommends buying them a medical alert device so if they do fall they can push a button and get help immediately.

“Install cameras at the front and the back of the house so the seniors don’t have unwanted visitors,” said Lenhart.

Another safety precaution is to have their medication in a pill organizer so they know when it’s time to take their pills.

“A friend would write the pills his grandmother was supposed to take. When she took them she was supposed to tear off that date. The problem was, every time she went into the kitchen, she took her medication and tore off the calendar.”

Make sure the house has good lighting, he said. And if they have problems getting up and down from their chair, buy a lift chair for them.

All houses should have a smoke detector and carbon monoxide monitor. A fire extinguisher is also a must. And a family member should check the expiration date of food in the pantry, refrigerator or freezer.

n a side note, the school for new sheriff’s, which newly elected Jim Frye was supposed to attend, was canceled because of COVID-19. The training will be held in January.

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By Melanie Speicheer

[email protected]

The Sidney Daily News conducts a weekly interview to update readers with news from the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, 555 Gearhart Road, Sidney.

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